The Tale of Cinderella
by ghostgirl19
Summary: She wept at the special tree, how could her step-family do this to her? All she wanted to do was go to the ball and have some fun, not live the life of a maid for only one night. Sudden chirping brought the girl's head up, and what caught her sight made her gasp. There, was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen. (My version of Cinderella, contains few elements of Grimm)


**Disclaimer: I do not own Cinderella**

**Prologue**

"Ella...I want to see our daugher.."

Richard looked at his weak wife with tears in his eyes. She was dying, both he and she knew it. He rose from his chair and walked out of the bedroom, ready to summon little Ella.

He came out of the room, shutting the door gently. Richard looked up at the doctor with hope in his eyes, he was desperate for his wife to get better and couldn't help a small spark of hope start to form when he saw the medical expert. But the doctor frowned and shook his head, mouthing 'I'm sorry' so the five-year old wouldn't hear.

Ella looked up at her father, her face expressionless. She knew something was wrong with the way Richard looked ready to burst into tears. "Daddy? Mommy's gonna be okay, right?"

"She wants to see you." He couldn't look into the cobalt blue eyes that she inherited from him.

Ella nodded and proceeded to the room containing her sick mother. She quietly closed the door when she entered and looked at her parent. She didn't look much different, only weaker. Her wavy brown hair still shone prettily and her matching set of eyes weren't dimmed down all that much. A little, but not much.

The girl made her way to her mother's side, taking her hand. "Here I am, Mommy."

"Oh my beautiful Ella. I, I must be quick with this. I know not how much time I have left on this Earth."

"Why Mommy?" Tears threatened to spill at her mother's words. The sickness couldn't be too bad could it?

"This fever will not go away, and I feel weaker every second. Soon I will not be with you anymore, but I must tell you this." Her mother's hand reached to stroke a dark brown curl on her daughter's head.

"Remain full of kindness, and hopeful even when in the darkest of times. I will always be with you, watching from above. I love you my dearest daughter.."

Her mother's hand dropped slowly back to the bed, and her breathing started to slow.

"Mommy?"

Her stomach rose, then fell. It didn't rise again. Ella took the hand that dropped into her own. "Mommy?" She began to lightly shake her mother's hand in an effort to bring her attention to her.

With no answer, she shook a bit harder. "Mommy, please answer me!" Distress filled the little girl now. Why wouldn't her mother answer her? She said she was going to watch Ella from above, but she was still here, with Ella. So why wouldn't she respond to her only daughter? "I love you, please don't go! Don't leave me! I want you to stay, not go above!"

Quiet. The five year old erupted into sobs, it was at this time her father entered. Tears quickly rolled down his cheeks when he surveyed the scene. Silently he moved to embrace her in his arms.

**~Two Years Later~**

"Daddy?"

Richard smiled weakly at Ella from his bed, his new wife and stepdaughters were off in a corner of the room, letting him speak alone to his true daughter.

"Honey, I love you very much. Don't worry, Gertrude will take good care of you, along with Annabelle and Madison."

The seven year old turned her head to glance at her stepmother and stepsisters. Annabelle and Madison showed no emotion, and Gertrude smiled. However, it didn't reach her eyes. Ella always wondered why her stepmother's smiles never seemed genuine, but always brushed it off as her being crazy. Still, there was that nagging feeling...

"Ella?"

She looked to her father again.

"I-I'm sorry to have done this to you. You only lost your mother two years ago and now..." He trailed off, a tear rolling down his face.

The girl quickly took her loving father's hand. "Don't apologize for anything. It's not your fault. I love you with all my heart Daddy."

He smiled warmly and she pressed a kiss to his forehead, pulling back she realized he no longer breathed. She put her head down next to her father's body and wept.

Gertrude's lips slowly curled into a cruel grin.


End file.
